Why Burning Bridges Might Be a Better Sales Strategy than Building Them
There are few businesses I work with today that don’t have as one of their goals, “challenge the customer’s comfort zone.”
Consider your own business for a minute: is it more beneficial to you for your customer to remain in her comfort zone? or to be pushed beyond her comfort zone?
Then consider your customer and the results you desire for him: is it more benefit to your customers for him to remain in his comfort zone? or to push beyond his comfort zone?
If your customer is comfortable buying from chain stores and you sell handmade bath & body products, you need to make them a little uncomfortable to change her behavior for both your benefit & hers. If your customer is comfortable with his daily routines but desires a big lifestyle change and you’re his life coach, you need to make him uncomfortable to change his routines thereby achieving his desires for both your benefit & his. If your customer is comfortable communicating with her friends using the phone but you want to disrupt & improve her communication with a brand new technology, you need to make her uncomfortable with the limitations of her current MO for both your benefit & hers.
Yet given the current media & marketing trends, you probably spend more time placating potential customers than confronting their comfort zones.
You are trying to build bridges when burning them may be the best strategy.
Your customers are, by nature, explorers. They’re seeking something. It might have started with a Google search. It might have been an interesting Facebook thread. It might have been a personal conversation over coffee. But they have sought out… something. They’re looking for transformation — even a tiny one.
They may not be able to identify their most pressing needs. They may not know what they’re looking for. But they have that nagging desire to learn more. And that’s where you come in.
Customers trust business owners that have something to teach. When you can give your customer a new way of seeing even the tiniest corner of her world, you are immediately trustworthy. But new ways of seeing don’t come from being comfortable, they come from confrontation.
Today’s most powerful sales people are challengers:
“They’ve got a provocative point of view that can upend a customer’s current practices, and they’re not afraid to push customers outside their comfort zone.” — Matt Dixon, The End of Solution Sales
Now, there are two things I know about you:
1) You got into business to challenge the status quo (your own, your customer’s, the world’s, etc…)
2) You are adverse to the over-the-top, in-your-face sales & marketing techniques of yesteryear.
So I also know that the idea of “confronting” your customer both resonates and feels a little, well, dangerous. Ya wanna push them… just not too hard.
Okay, okay. I get that.
Here’s the problem: your customers are on to your “not gonna push ’em too hard” ways.
Your relationship building techniques – questions, conversations, endless free teleclasses, etc… – aren’t mysterious anymore. People know you’re buttering them up. Sure, they’ll participate. Sure, they’ll engage. But are you really setting them up for a sale or allowing them more time to stew on the inevitable “no, thanks?”
The best salespeople are still empathic, clued into needs, and sensitive to individual perspectives but, instead of following the customer’s lead, they take the reins and deliver an insight that moves the customer to action.
What do you know about your audience – their habits, their failures, their opportunities – that even they don’t know? Supplying that information creates instant fans and eager customers.
Here’s the framework for creating a challenging sales process:
1. Identify a core belief or operating principle that your customer has and challenge it.
Example: Tara Mohr knew women weren’t reaching their full potential in life & business because they were “playing small.” They were excusing themselves from big opportunities or failing to take risks. So that’s how she framed her coaching program, Playing Big. Tara used her intimate knowledge of the differences between women who play small & women who play big to challenge the operating principles of the former.
2. Use your insight as an outsider or expert to demonstrate a new idea.
Example: When I talk to makers about their frustrations with pricing, I make sure to point out that I’m not a maker. No, I’m a customer. I’m one of the people happy to pay twice as much as what they’re charging. That fosters trust & credibility for my ideas.
3. Bring in data or case studies that prove your position.
Example: Copyblogger Media shares multiple insights into well-designed sales pages on the Premise landing page. Instead of just sharing features, the sales page actually tells customers things they may not know about constructing a sales page that works. Take this to the next level by sharing real results from your clients or customers in their own words.
4. Coach your customers on how to buy.
Example: LKR Social Media Marketer explains why – right on the sales page – it’s better to buy a monthly subscription to a community than it is to buy individual solutions to problems that will quickly go out of date. Knowing the solution might be intimidating to customers, Laura cut straight through why her plan is the best.
5. Tailor that position to the person you’re talking with.
Example: Writer extraordinaire, Kelly Diels, creates a separate landing page on her site for every guest post she writes. She understands that different audiences, different types of customers, have different needs, points of reference, and interests. Hone in on exactly what’s important to who you’re talking to.
Your customers can see right through your efforts to build relationships with them – genuine though they might be. We are all in some sort of business and your tactics for creating buy-in are becoming tired.
Instead of trying to make the sale feel warm & fuzzy, allow your customers to trust in the fact that you’re confident & in control. Take the lead with new insights and fresh perspectives.
Will you accept the challenge?
Why teaching rules the New Economy: a conversation with Jennifer Louden
Today’s conversation is with Jennifer Louden, a bestselling author, creator of the Savor & Serve project, and co-creator of TeachNow. Jen believes, as I do, that teaching – and businesses based on teaching – is an integral part of the You Economy.
Teaching really combines all three touch points of You Economy commerce. There’s the connection you create with fellow students & your teacher. Then there’s the experience you have of learning and having your new knowledge shift your worldview. And then there’s the deep meaning we associate with fresh wisdom.
Jen and I tackle these questions:
- Why is teaching an integral part of the You Economy?
- How is teaching as a business different than teaching in traditional schools?
- What are the psychological barriers those who feel a calling to teach face?
- What keeps teachers from earning what they’re worth?
If teaching is a part of your business model, I invite you to check out Jen’s free call on April 3 on dissolving the obstacles to teaching joyfully & effectively.
What You Run Your Business On Matters
Do you want your business to say “quick fix” or “long haul” to the customers you value?
When you’re on a shoestring budget, you’re always looking for expenses to cut. The app economy has made one of those choices simple: software, systems, and platforms.
You can find a free solution for just about anything.
But just because something is free, doesn’t mean it’s good. One of the first suggestions I make to a client when she’s trying to up her game, gain credibility in the market, and boost profits is to make changes to the platforms she uses to run her business.
Let’s get real.
The tools we use say a lot about the business we run. Good tools and professional systems say that we mean to stick around. Poor tools and DIY-solutions say that we’re a gamble.
Just because a tool is premium doesn’t mean it’s good, either. Your job is to determine the experience of your business that you want your customers to have.
In setting up payment gateways, content security, and member intake at Kick Start Labs over the last few weeks, we made a concerted effort to make everything flow, to make the experience elegant, to allow each detail to speak for itself. We researched platforms, fought with APIs, and tested.
When we launched, things didn’t go as planned.
I was, frankly, devastated.
So we regrouped. Made different choices. Got creative. In the end, the back end is a little more unwieldy than I would like. But the front end is a much better experience.
It’s a user experience that represents the quality our customers receive.
You do great work. You facilitate big things. You serve your customers with heart.
Don’t you deserve the same from your business solutions?
Here are some ideas of how to get started:
- Upgrade your web hosting or utilize a content delivery network to speed up your website.
- Invest in a full-featured payment system.
- Use professional webinar or teleclass solutions.
- Invest in a customer retention management, inventory, or accounting solution.
- Engage a project management application.
- Purchase better software & applications for writing, designing, or editing.
Your business most certainly does not to spend money on things you don’t need. But, where you have needs, you might need to spend money. In most cases, free will only go so far.
What platforms are you using that need to be upgraded?
Nailing an Incremental Launch: Why It Takes Less Than You Think
I understand the power (and profitability) of a wham-bam-thank-ya-ma’am launch. But in my own business, the approach tends to be more incremental. The launch process is less orchestrated than improvised.
Just like a jazz musician has a set of chords and rhythm section to create a melody over, I have a message, a set of skills to teach, and a process for making an impact. The actual beautiful music of the launch happens when I listen closely to what’s happening around me and adjust on the fly. A blue note here, a change in rhythm there.
And, often in improvisation, “less is more.”
The key with any launch – but especially an incremental launch – is not to hit your audience over the head with spectacle & showmanship. You’ll earn many wows but few dollars. Your potential customers should not say, “Wow! That’s fascinating. Never thought of that way before. …Now what do I do with this?”
Instead, you want to leave them saying, “Ooh! Gimme more!”
It’s actually about editing. Your tendency is to over deliver. You want to wow your audience with the depth & breadth of your knowledge. You want to prove that you have something of value to offer. Who are you really proving it to?
So you pile it on.
And your audience is truly wowed. Blown away, even.
But then what do they do? You’ve given them ideas, but no action. You’ve given them perspective, but no results.
The goal of your launch is to not to prove that you have the goods but to demonstrate that you deliver results. The easiest way to deliver results is to pick one tiny lesson that teaches your audience something that is immediately applicable. They take that lesson, apply it to their own world/work/life, and can see the results right away.
Their results become your sales process.
Results are like sweet potato tortilla chips: you can never have just one.
Your customers are going to want more. And they’ll know where to find ’em.
If you can create one result, one distinct step forward, for your potential customers, you’ve crossed a psychological boundary. Saying “no” to your offer now feels like a loss, not an equal choice. They’ve already claimed one small outcome. To say “no” to your offer, they’re denying themselves more outcomes.
Here’s the simplest launch checklist you’ll ever find:
1) Choose a single experience that allows you to deliver a clear result.
2) Edit that experience so that your customers can apply it to their world/work/life immediately.
3) Offer that experience for free through a tutorial, ebook, teleclass, or live demonstration.
4) Explain the results your customers can expect.
5) Ask them to report back with their own results and create a system for them to do so.
6) Make your offer.
As your offer & launch evolve, you can repeat this process over & over gain. That’s why it’s an incremental launch. You can offer up many different pieces of the puzzle – each with their own distinct results – without giving away the whole picture.
That makes launching a learning process for both you & your customers. And that’s always a good bet.
Why the Learning Curve is So Steep and How to Level It
As an individual, your learning curve is steep. Every decision, every next step, every opportunity is a first. It’s exhausting.
When we connect with others, each of our learning curves level out. Suddenly no decision in front of you is a first. No next step is a lonely one. No opportunity is too big or too scary. You can tap into the collective wisdom of the entrepreneurial tribe any time you need it.
The work is still yours to do, but the experiences belong to the group, accessible at any time.
Many of you have, as I do, very large goals. You see the success (perceived or real) of others and you want it for your own. What I have learned, directly from these same people, is that the truly successful business owners have asked for the help, opinions, and experiences of others to get to where they’re at.
To launch the product.
To write the book.
To make the speech.
To host the event.
To build the company.
It’s not that they haven’t supplied the bulk of the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to build their success; it’s that they’ve leveled the learning curve, sped up the process, and enjoyed their de facto entrepreneurial education more because they’ve surrendered to the support of friends, colleagues, and mentors.
I’ve slowly built a network of people who I can rely on to constantly level my own learning curve. From a media startup CEO to a jewelry designer to a DJ-turned-woodworker-turned-writer to an intuitive life-shifter to a leading role life coach… and many, many more. The faster I’ve accumulated quality connections, the faster I’ve climbed the hill.
When I wanted to leave web design in the dust and transition to digital products, I knew who to call. When I had questions about planning & leading my own event, I knew who to talk to. When I wanted to know how to hand over email to an assistant, I asked around.
No decision in my business is made in a vacuum.
Are you making your decisions in a vacuum?
You can connect with the people you need in a multitude of places. You can find people in your local community, on Twitter, on Facebook, through friends of friends. There is absolutely no excuse for not having an engaged & invigorating system of support in this day & age.
There is no excuse for allowing your learn curving to be so darn steep.
Today, make an effort to ask for help, experience, or clarity. Whatever your “next step” is, involve someone else. Whatever “I’m just not sure” you’re facing, plug someone else into the problem.
And find the road ahead much more level.
— PS —
If you’re looking for a community of like-minded business owners, I invite you to join us in Kick Start Labs. Our community members are ready to go beyond the basics. They’re doing great work and are ready to push through to greater service, more sales, and bigger impact.
These are the kind of people you want in your corner and connected to your goals. Click here to find out more & join us today!
We don’t want your economic recovery.
Allow me, for a moment, to speak for my generation.
President Obama, Governor Romney, members of Congress:
We don’t want your economic recovery.
We want a real change. We want to embrace the recession for what it is: an opportunity to recreate this economy from the ground up.
We want to redefine the American Dream. We want to reinvent our values system.
We don’t want your manufacturing jobs, your easy credit, your handouts, your false sense of security.
We’re seeking true freedom. We’re making our own choices. We’ll do what it takes to live a fulfilling life on our own terms.
We’ve watched our parents & Gen X friends suffer through debilitating credit card debt, underwater mortgages, and forced productivity at jobs they hate. We’re tired of unsustainable consumer spending, work habits, and family lives. Frankly, we want something more. And we’re willing to try and try again until we figure out what that is.
We’re not alone. We Millennials don’t want your economic recovery but neither do the countless Boomers and Gen Xers who have been waking up to new possibilities for decades. All of us, we’re ready to make different choices. But those choices won’t create your economic recovery.
We refuse to be bullied back into the past. We’re here to claim the future.
We’d like your help. But you’ll have to talk with us, listen to us, collaborate with us. We don’t things any other way. But if we don’t get your help. We’ll build it ourselves.
Would you, could you, consider a new strategy? Would you, could you, listen to the countless individuals who are speaking up against your status quo politico-economic pandering and choose a different path?
Would you, could you, help us create the future we want to live in?
President Obama, Governor Romney, members of Congress: what say you?